Kitty Hawk's Walmart to expand into Supercenter

KITTY HAWK, N.C.

The only Walmart store on the Outer Banks will soon boast Supercenter status.

Construction to add about 30,000 square feet to the store's footprint - including space for a new grocery area - is scheduled to begin in March. An outdoor garden center also will increase by about 2,000 square feet.

"They're going to completely remodel the store inside and out," said Tom Wheeler, co-owner of the Kitty Hawk shopping center where the Walmart is located.

The expansion will also mean a "substantial" number of new jobs at the store, though Wheeler said he did not know exactly how many.

"It would be impossible for them to operate the store without adding more jobs," Wheeler said.

Calls to Walmart's media relations department for more information were not immediately returned.

When construction is finished, Walmart's footprint will total about 134,000 square feet. The store will remain open during construction, Wheeler said.

"There are a lot of people who would like to be able to shop at a Walmart Supercenter rather than going to Elizabeth City or off of the Outer Banks," he said. "Walmart knows that Kitty Hawk would like to see this improvement done."

Expansion has been a part of the company's plans since Walmart opened the Kitty Hawk store in 1993, after several years of controversy about the project's environmental impact.

The construction of Shoreside Shopping Center required filling 8 acres of wetlands. The site borders a maritime forest, Kitty Hawk Woods.

Several adjacent property owners also took legal action against the town and developers. The parties eventually settled, allowing developers to move ahead with the project.

Walmart's expansion plans will not affect any wetlands, Kitty Hawk Planning Director Joe Heard said.

Walmart submitted expansion plans to the town in January and received approval in April, Heard said.

Erin James, (252) 441-1711, erin.james@pilotonline.com